Rory McIlroy grouped with Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm

Four-time Major winner begins Irish Open title defence alongside world number two

Rory McIlroy begins his Irish Open defence alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty
Rory McIlroy begins his Irish Open defence alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty

Rory McIlroy will begin the defence of his Irish Open title alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm.

The group - which sees world number four McIlroy head-to-head with world number two Matsuyama - will tee off at 1.20pm on Thursday afternoon.

Shane Lowry meanwhile will start from the 10th hole in his opening round, and he is due to tee off at 8.10am along with Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Thomas Pieters.

Last weekend’s winner of the French Open, Tommy Fleetwood, has been grouped with Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose, and they also get underway from the 10th at 8.20am.

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Paul Dunne tees off from the first at 1.10pm with Lee Westwood and Tyrrell hatton, while Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Andy Sullivan start from the 10th at 8.30am.

Friday sees McIlroy’s three-ball tee off from the 10th at 8.20am, with Lowry off from the first at 1.10pm and Harrington at 1.30pm.

Irish Open round one tee times (first hole):

07.30 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), David Howell, Stephen Gallacher

07.40 Matthew Southgate, Nathan Kimsey, Robert Rock

07.50 Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Matteo Manassero (Ita), Brandon Stone (Rsa)

08.00 Daniel Brooks, Alexander Knappe (Ger), Simon Khan

08.10 Haydn Porteous (Rsa), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Richie Ramsay

08.20 Nino Bertasio (Ita), Julien Quesne (Fra), Marc Warren

08.30 Paul Peterson (USA), David Horsey, Scott Hend (Aus)

08.40 Paul Waring, Duncan Stewart, Bernd Ritthammer (Ger)

08.50 Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Scott Jamieson, Justin Walters (Rsa)

09.00 Oliver Fisher, Chris Hanson, Lasse Jensen (Den)

09.10 Niclas Fasth (Swe), David Drysdale, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe)

09.20 Richard Sterne (Rsa), Jordan Smith, Jorge Campillo (Spa)

09.30 Neil O’Briain, Ashley Chesters, Thomas Aiken (Rsa)

12.30 Jens Fahrbring (Swe), Romain Wattel (Fra), Daniel Im (USA)

12.40 Joel Stalter (Fra), Maximilian Kieffer (Ger), Lucas Bjerregaard (Den)

12.50 Michael Hoey, Nicolas Colsaerts (Be), Robert Karlsson (Swe)

13.00 Alexander Levy (Fra), Paul McGinley, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)

13.10 Tyrrell Hatton, Lee Westwood, Paul Dunne

13.20 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm (Spa)

13.30 Matthew Fitzpatrick, Ian Poulter, Danny Willett

13.40 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Darren Clarke, Andrew Johnston

13.50 Chris Wood, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn), Haotong Li (Chn)

14.00 Gregory Havret (Fra), Damien Perrier (Fra), Paul Lawrie

14.10 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Pep Angles (Spa), Gary Hurley

14.20 Johan Carlsson (Swe), Damien McGrane, Adrian Otaegui (Spa)

14.30 Gavin Moynihan, Benjamin Hebert (Fra), Marcus Armitage

10th hole:

07.30 Chris Paisley, Alexander Bjork (Swe), Richard Kilpatrick (Nz)

07.40 Sam Brazel (Aus), Anthony Wall, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa)

07.50 Jamie Donaldson, David Lipsky (USA), Mikko Ilonen (Fin)

08.00 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Andres Romero (Arg), Peter Uihlein (USA)

08.10 Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa), Shane Lowry, Thomas Pieters (Be)

08.20 Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood

08.30 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Padraig Harrington, Andy Sullivan

08.40 Thomas Bjorn (Den), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Renato Paratore (Ita)

08.0 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha), Shih-Chang Chan (Tpe), Joakim Lagergren (Swe)

09.10 Marcus Fraser (Aus), Brett Rumford (Aus), Dean Burmester (Rsa)

09.20 Marcel Siem (Ger), Peter Hanson (Swe), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por)

09.30 Simon Thornton, Florian Fritsch (Ger), Sam Walker

12.30 Kristoffer Broberg (Swe), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Richard Finch

12.40 Stuart Manley, Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Colm Moriarty

12.50 Sebastian Heisele (Ger), Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Thomas Detry (Be)

13.00 Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Matt Wallace, Victor Dubuisson (Fra)

13.10 S.S.P Chawrasia (Ind), Soomin Lee (Kr), Richard Bland

13.20 Ashun Wu (Chn), Andrew Dodt (Aus), Ricardo Gouveia (Pt)

13.30 Joost Luiten (Ned), Bradley Dredge, Gregory Bourdy (Fra)

13.40 Jason Scrivener (Aus), Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa), Callum Shinkwin

13.50 Hennie Otto (Rsa), James Morrison, Simon Dyson

14.00 Rikard Karlberg (Swe), Graeme Storm, Gary Stal (Fra)

14.10 David Higgins, Eduardo De La Riva (Spa), Romain Langasque (Fra)

14.20 Wade Ormsby (Aus), Lee Slattery, George Coetzee (Rsa)

14.30 Dermot Mcelroy, Sebastien Gros (Fra), Nacho Elvira (Spa)

Irish Open round two tee times (first hole):

07.30 Kristoffer Broberg (Swe), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Richard Finch

07.40 Stuart Manley, Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Colm Moriarty

07.50 Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Sebastian Heisele (Ger), Thomas Detry (Bel)

08.00 Matt Wallace, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Victor Dubuisson (Fra)

08.10 S.S.P Chawrasia (Ind), Soomin Lee (Kor), Richard Bland

08.20 Andrew Dodt (Aus), Ashun Wu (Chn), Ricardo Gouveia (Por)

08.30 Bradley Dredge, Joost Luiten (Ned), Gregory Bourdy (Fra)

08.40 Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa), Jason Scrivener (Aus), Callum Shinkwin

08.50 James Morrison, Hennie Otto (Rsa), Simon Dyson

09.00 Graeme Storm, Rikard Karlberg (Swe), Gary Stal (Fra)

09.10 David Higgins, Eduardo De La Riva (Spa), Romain Langasque (Fra)

09.20 Wade Ormsby (Aus), Lee Slattery, George Coetzee (Rsa)

09.30 Dermot Mcelroy, Sebastien Gros (Fra), Nacho Elvira (Spa)

12.30 Chris Paisley, Alexander Bjork (Swe), Richard Kilpatrick (Nzl)

12.40 Sam Brazel (Aus), Anthony Wall, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa)

12.50 Jamie Donaldson, David Lipsky (USA), Mikko Ilonen (Fin)

13.00 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Andres Romero (Arg), Peter Uihlein (USA)

13.10 Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa), Shane Lowry, Thomas Pieters (Bel)

13.20 Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood

13.30 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Padraig Harrington, Andy Sullivan

13.40 Thomas Bjorn (Den), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Renato Paratore (Ita)

13.50 Dylan Frittelli (Rsa), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Jeunghun Wang (Kor)

14.00 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha), Shih-Chang Chan (Tpe), Joakim Lagergren (Swe)

14.10 Marcus Fraser (Aus), Brett Rumford (Aus), Dean Burmester (Rsa)

14.20 Marcel Siem (Ger), Peter Hanson (Swe), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por)

14.30 Simon Thornton, Florian Fritsch (Ger), Sam Walker

10th hole:

07.30 Jens Fahrbring (Swe), Romain Wattel (Fra), Daniel Im (USA)

07.40 Joel Stalter (Fra), Lucas Bjerregaard (Den), Maximilian Kieffer (Ger)

07.50 Michael Hoey, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel), Robert Karlsson (Swe)

08.00 Alexander Levy (Fra), Paul McGinley, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)

08.10 Tyrrell Hatton, Lee Westwood, Paul Dunne

08.20 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm (Spa)

08.30 Matthew Fitzpatrick, Ian Poulter, Danny Willett

08.40 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Darren Clarke, Andrew Johnston

08.50 Chris Wood, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn), Haotong Li (Chn)

09.00 Gregory Havret (Fra), Damien Perrier (Fra), Paul Lawrie

09.10 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Pep Angles (Spa), Gary Hurley

09.20 Johan Carlsson (Swe), Damien McGrane, Adrian Otaegui (Spa)

09.30 Gavin Moynihan, Benjamin Hebert (Fra), Marcus Armitage

12.30 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), David Howell, Stephen Gallacher

12.40 Matthew Southgate, Nathan Kimsey, Robert Rock

12.50 Matteo Manassero (Ita), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Brandon Stone (Rsa)

13.00 Alexander Knappe (Ger), Daniel Brooks, Simon Khan

13.10 Haydn Porteous (Rsa), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Richie Ramsay

13.20 Julien Quesne (Fra), Nino Bertasio (Ita), Marc Warren

13.30 David Horsey, Paul Peterson (USA), Scott Hend (Aus)

13.40 Duncan Stewart, Paul Waring, Bernd Ritthammer (Ger)

13.50 Scott Jamieson, Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Justin Walters (Rsa)

14.00 Chris Hanson, Oliver Fisher, Lasse Jensen (Den)

14.10 Niclas Fasth (Swe), David Drysdale, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe)

14.20 Richard Sterne (Rsa), Jordan Smith, Jorge Campillo (Spa)

14.30 Neil O’Briain, Ashley Chesters, Thomas Aiken (Rsa)